Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has new representation (again), this time going with the agency PRP, the firm of Andre Agassi’s former manager, Perry Rogers.
One of Canada’s top female athletes and billed at one point as the next big marketing star in women’s tennis, Bouchard two years ago was a finalist at Wimbledon, reaching that stage just months before her contract with Lagardère Sports and Entertainment was set to expire. She ultimately left in a high-profile departure for WME-IMG but now has moved on to PRP, where Colin Smeeton will represent her.
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Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, a Wimbledon finalist in 2014, has fallen in the rankings.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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PRP is run by Smeeton along with Rogers.
Bouchard has fallen in the world rankings since ascending to the No. 5 spot in 2014. Last week, she was ranked No. 48. Still, she has deals with Aviva, Babolat, Beats, Coca-Cola, Nike, Rogers and Rolex.
Among PRP’s other clients, the agency represents Shaquille O’Neal, Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard, along with Sam Querrey and the Bryan brothers in tennis. Like Bouchard, Querrey and the brothers previously were with Lagardère, but they were part of an exodus of tennis clients from the firm late last year following the departure of many of its agents. Ironically, it was Bouchard’s departure to WME-IMG, along with Victoria Azarenka’s move from Lagardère to that firm, that sparked the wholesale changes in the group.
Smeeton, who has ties to Lagardère predecessor agency BEST, said he will not be with Bouchard at Wimbledon, which starts this week. He previously committed to accompany O’Neal on a trip to Cuba.
Bouchard is also currently suing the U.S. Tennis Association for a concussion she suffered after slipping in the locker room area at last year’s U.S. Open. The fall forced her to withdraw from the event. She is in settlement talks with the USTA. Smeeton declined to comment on the lawsuit.
